Salam Shabab Named Finalist in Prix Jeunesse International | United States Institute of Peace

Salam Shabab Named Finalist in Prix Jeunesse International | United States Institute of Peace

Salam Shabab is a TV program for peacebuilding with children as part of the efforts to rebuild post-conflict Iraq. Children's programming is always a tricky business, but particularly so when conflict is part of the setting. In essence, the program follows Iraqi youth from across six provinces of the country as they make their own films about their lives, meet their challenges and try to have a voice in an era when we listen less often than we might to the contributions that are possible when we allow the space for them.

We'll be looking forward to June 2012 when many programs will compete alongside Salam Shabab in Munich as fellow finalists for the Prix Jeunesse International, a prize given every two years for the best in children's programming supporting the voices and views of children, with an eye toward culture promotion and expression, and an appreciation for other cultures.

Congratulations, Salam Shabab!

Culture of Peace -- A History, and a Conference March 3, 2012

On Saturday, March 3rd, at Keene State College in Keene, NH, scholars, activists, students and engaged citizens will gather for a conference building a Culture of Peace.  But this is hardly the first time that the NH Culture of Peace community has convened to rejuvenate our energies.  Professor Leo Sandy recently wrote of the history of this annual conference in NH , and interested readers will note that in a mere 18 days from Valentine's Day, we'll again express cooperation and peace through our colleagues from the region.  The link above has the information about the conference, how you can attend (it is F.R.E.E.!!), and by all means -- how you can share in the conversation, extend it to others, and improve our world. 

For over three decades, Chevron chose profit over people

The True Story of Chevron's Ecuador Disaster from Amazon Watch on Vimeo.
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While drilling in the Ecuadorian Amazon from 1964 to 1990, Texaco – which merged with Chevron in 2001 – deliberately dumped more than 18 billion gallons of toxic wastewater, spilled roughly 17 million gallons of crude oil, and left hazardous waste in hundreds of open pits dug out of the forest floor. To save money, Texaco chose to use environmental practices that were obsolete, did not meet industry standards, and were illegal in Ecuador and the United States.

The result was, and continues to be, one of the worst environmental disasters on the planet. Contamination of soil, groundwater, and surface streams has caused local indigenous and campesino people to suffer a wave of mouth, stomach and uterine cancer, birth defects, and spontaneous miscarriages. Chevron has never cleaned up the mess it inherited, and its oil wastes continue to poison the rainforest ecosystem.